Commercially I mean. It’s already a critical success. What level of sales would make it viable for Ron and Gary to go again with another project? Does anyone know?
I’m really enjoying this game immensely and would love to see what more is possible beyond it.
I don’t know, but it must first at least break even, which according to Mr. Gilbert, it still hasn’t.
Also, I would imagine that if it takes too long to make money, it may not be suitable as a sustainable business in its own right, since the developers need to eat in the meantime.
That’s just conjecture on my part.
dZ.
Ok, I wonder what if anything we can all do to spread the word.
And given it was kickstarted does it need to break even? Just wondering aloud if there is long term viability in a not for profit model to keep these games being developed in the name of the art form they undoubtedly are.
They would have broken even if they would have only used Kickstarter money.
But since they raised additional half a million dollars to make a better game they have to pay this back before breaking even.
Also note that they didn’t pay themselves proper income so in the long run they probably wouldn’t want to keep doing this for the same money.
If you are interested in this topic there was a thread about it. (it should be spoiler free)
That’s a tough question to answer. I’m not even sure if in the last years there was a single point-and-click adventure game that made enough money to be considered “economically sound”.
I saw on on the site that should not be mentioned that Day Of the Tentacle Remastered ($15) has 400.000 Steam owners. That sorta sounds successful (unless game was very expensive to make), add to that the other distribution channels plus the original sales. And then retract some money that was lost due to game bought on Steam sales.
Secret of Monkey Island Special Edition is only $10 but it also has many owners.
I know that site cannot be relied upon, but IF its in the correct ballpark…imagine getting those users to notice that TWP exist, I hope they will eventually.
That’s a very, very important point. The only way to tell if there is profit or not is to know both the revenue figures and the costs of the project. We, as external observers, haven’t any of this information. 
We have discussed sales, Kickstarter, game profitability and SteamSpy figures in more than one thread. Personally, I think that this post by Ron and the interesting article about Steam sales that he has linked to is quite revealing of how this niche industry is struggling to get good results, but you’ll find other similar statements in other threads as well.
DotT has been in heavy discounts. Those 400,000 units where not sold at $15. Also, sadly, a remake of a 20 year old game has done much much better than TWP. It’s actually been very depressing realizing how many adventure game fans either don’t know about TWP or have just discounted it due to the art/UI. I don’t regret the art or UI, they were core to the game’s vision, I’m just sorry that so many people can’t see beyond that.
That is truly a pity, and it is unfortunately my experience as well. I find it very disappointing that my friends and colleagues, although initially very excited about trying out the game when I tell them about it, never actually took the time to do so.
They all commented that $20.00 is really not a big deal, so they were ready to try it. A few commented on the “retro” look, which suggests that the appearance turned them off for some reason.
No matter how I reassure them that the style, story, and characters are all great and the game is indeed a lot of fun (which they appear to agree in principle when I relate some of the puzzles and my own experiences); they still can’t get past the idea of an “old fashioned adeventure game.” (I think at least one even expected it to be a text adventure!)
There is definitely a lot of baggage attached to this genre, and many people can’t seem to imagine anything better than what they have experienced in the past. 
All that said, I really hope that the upcoming iOS version picks up some interest among the kids. I can imagine the game being perfect for mobile casual players.
dZ.
Yeah, I have sorta come across that also.
For Steam I think it would work good if Terrible Toybox had MM license (or one of the other SCUMM titles not on Steam yet). Then he could release it on Steam, and also offer it as a bundled with TWP, then people would maybe go; hey more games like this I am gonna try it. Or click on the developer or producer link and see TWP pop up. Then notice the rating, currently its “Overwhelming Positive”, and give it a try. So kinda tap directly into the SCUMM nostalgia crowd at least.
And could place ads and references to TWP inside the old game.
BTW. does Disney own all LucasFilm/LucasArt game licenses, just curious?
Here’s an idea… if you guys haven’t do so before, add a review or two to Steam and IMBD. I just did so.
Good idea. Didn’t know IMDB had game reviews, gonna make one there also.
I think the reason they eventually added games was because of voice actors resumees which otherwise would have been incomplete, if you didn´t list games as well.
Yep, they own them all. Only odd exception is Sam & Max, since Steve owned that and licensed it to Lucas (for a limited time).
Sometimes you have to help. I’m going to give a certain friend of mine a Steam key (or maybe a GOG key) as a birthday present. I’m sure he would like it. This way, I kill two birds with one stone. 
But Disney “owns” the first Sam and Max game? So they could re-release it for example?
Oh yeah, I’ve done that. Like I said, it’s not the money that stops them.
Then again, I know that as I’m getting older, I am very discriminant on what things I am willing to spend my time in.
I think the key is in trying to attract a younger audience, one that is not tied by nostalgia and has a bias against “old fashioned” things. That’s very difficult.
dZ.
There is another reason: As a kid most had an illegal copy of MM, MI, DOTT and other adventures. Now they are buying the remakes just due to nostalgia reasons. But they don’t play new games anymore.
I assume that a lot of people who bought DotT haven’t played it yet. I bought it, too, because of the heavy discount. I have finished the DOS version of DotT several times, so I already know it very well. To me, the most interesting new feature of the remake are the commentaries by the developers. But, I haven’t played the remake yet, and I assume that this is also valid for many other owners. Well, I am still interested in contemporary point & click adventure games, but many owners of the DotT remake probably aren’t - as @Someone wrote above. They bought the remake, because of the low price and because they had enjoyed playing DotT back in the 90s. They know the game and they also appreciate that such a buy is not a pig in a poke for them. This often makes the decision for buying a game easier. Also, it’s clear that a 24-year-old classic, which many people grew up with, is better known.
Also, seeing the heavy discounts, it’s not a surprise to me that the remake of DotT sold way better than TWP. Full Throttle seems to have sold worse than TWP! I assume that it’s not least the price.
Same with me. However, I didn’t purchase it due to the discount. The promotion brought it to my attention, so I purchased it along with a few others (although I would have paid full price like with many of my games), but I haven’t taken the time to play it yet.
dZ.